Portishead railway station
- see also Portishead railway station on the Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Railway
| Portishead | |
|---|---|
|
The 1954 Portishead railway station, in 1960 | |
| Location | |
| Place | Portishead |
| Area | North Somerset |
| Coordinates | 51°29′00″N 2°46′00″W / 51.483333°N 2.766667°WCoordinates: 51°29′00″N 2°46′00″W / 51.483333°N 2.766667°W |
| Operations | |
| Original company | Bristol and Portishead Pier and Railway |
| Pre-grouping | Great Western Railway |
| Platforms |
1 (Old station); 2 (New station) |
| History | |
| 18 April 1867 | Portishead (Old) station opened |
| 4 January 1954 | Closed, replaced by a new station 400 m away |
| 4 January 1954 | Portishead (New or BTC) station opened |
| 7 September 1964 | Closed |
| Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom | |
|
Closed railway stations in Britain A B C D–F G H–J K–L M–O P–R S T–V W–Z | |
 UK Railways portal | |
Portishead railway station was opened by the Bristol and Portishead Pier and Railway in 1867; it was approximately 0.5 miles (0.80 km) from the village of Portishead. After the opening of the Pier in 1870, the line was extended with an additional railway station opened by the pier. The Pier station closed first; and the original Portishead station closed in 1954, with a new Portishead station opened nearer the town. The 1954 station closed in 1964 when passenger services were withdrawn from the line.
History
Portishead railway station was opened by the Bristol and Portishead Pier and Railway on 18 April 1867; it was approximately 0.5 miles (0.8 km) beyond the village of Portishead and handled both passengers and goods.[1][2][3] The Pier was opened in 1870 and line was extended to the pier, with an additional railway station opened by the pier.[2] By 1904, this was listed as a goods-only station, known as "Portishead Dock".[3]
In the 1920s, the coal-fired Portishead power station was built adjacent to Portishead railway station; and the power station was extended in 1948 to increase its capacity. In 1949, building work also started on an additional power station, Portishead B power station.[2] This led to the closure and demolition of the original Portishead railway station. It was replaced on the same day, 4 January 1954, by a new station 440 yards (400 m) nearer the centre of Portishead and Bristol.[2]
The 1954 station was closed by the "Beeching Axe" on 7 September 1964, when passenger services ceased on the line.[1][2] Freight services continued on the line until the early 1980s.
It is planned that the line is to be reopened in 2019 when a new station will be built about 600 metres (0.37 mi) east of the town centre.[4]
| Preceding station | Historical railways | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portbury Line and station closed |
Great Western Railway Portishead Railway |
Terminus | ||
| Future services | ||||
| Pill | Greater Western franchise Portishead Branch Line |
Terminus | ||
References
Notes
Sources
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Portishead railway station. |
- Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0508-1. OCLC 60251199.
- Crowhurst, Ken (2001). Images of England: Portishead. Stroud: Tempus Publishing Limited. ISBN 0-7524-2240-5.
- The Railway Clearing House (1970) [1904]. The Railway Clearing House Handbook of Railway Stations 1904 (1970 D&C Reprint ed.). Newton Abbot: David & Charles Reprints. ISBN 0-7153-5120-6.